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Ford Focus: MPG-Real World Numbers

76 messages,  Last post on Oct 28, 2009 at 1:15 PM

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What is this discussion about? Ford Focus, Ford Focus SVT, Fuel Efficiency (MPG)


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#69 of 76
Re: 2008 Focus SES Sedan MPG [hineblazer] by markus5
Mar 26, 2009 (7:21 am)
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Replying to: hineblazer (Mar 25, 2009 9:46 am)

I must ask, does this "Fuel Heater" work in the summer-time as well? I don't see this being a good idea under those conditions. Who sells this Product. ?
The Focus A/T is a 4-speed unit w/ overdrive, that is your 5th gear. The "green-zone" would be to keep to a reasonable speed on the Highway ( below 60 is probably dangerous today )
The RpM"s on my 2.3 ZTS would be about 2250 at that speed, which I think is about equivalent to top gear in the five-speed manual tranny.
EPA estimates will usually show MPG slightly better for M/T models. That does not mean that real world results will be the same. It is problematic at best, but most drivers do not use the tranny to optimize mileage. With an A/T the driver would only need to "train the foot" to apply as little throttle pressure as required to drive effectively.
 
mark
#70 of 76
Re: Ford Focus Owners: MPG-Real World Numbers [KarenS] by jeromeb
Apr 30, 2009 (6:07 pm)
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Replying to: KarenS (Sep 02, 2005 7:22 am)

With the A/C in use, the fuel economy for my commute is about 25 mpg.
With the A/C not in use, the fuel economy for my commute is about 29 mpg.
With the A/C not in use, and coasting to stops with the transmission disengaged, my fuel economy is 32 mpg.
 
My commute is 13 miles one way, about half highway and half surface streets.
#71 of 76
i had a focus as a loaner for a couple of days by explorerx4
May 06, 2009 (3:14 pm)
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when i figured out how to read the computer, the mpg's read 36+.
i reset it and when i turned it in it read 33.
it had a 4 speed auto. i was impressed, since my commute is less than 14 miles each way.
#72 of 76
Re: Update on 2005 Ford Focust ST at 65,000 miles [basiliskst] by wjtinatl
May 08, 2009 (5:11 am)
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Replying to: basiliskst (Aug 04, 2008 9:20 am)

Couldn't agree more with the above post. Bought my '03 Focus SVT used in '06 when gas hit $3.20/gal. It had 15k on it then, now has 67k. Outside of tires (2 sets of z-rated hi-po rubber) and at-home oil and filter changes, in the past 50k, I have not spent any money on the car! Still on the original brake pads and rotors and the interior (black leather Recaro's) looks like new with just a little work. I never expected to keep this car as long as I have (I get bored with cars easily) but find that there's nothing on the market that lights my fire enough to replace the SVT. It's a shame Ford discontinued the original hatchback design and SVT version as I'd gladly buy a new one over a Civic Si or similar. Hopefully the 2011 Focus will have a SVT version as mine will surely have 100k+ on it by then and I'll be ready for something new... I think!
#73 of 76
Re: 2008 Focus SES Sedan MPG [sryder32] by auto2009
May 13, 2009 (12:15 pm)
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Replying to: sryder32 (Jan 20, 2009 7:40 pm)

People seam to assume the computer is wrong but I have found a lot of gas pumps are not accurate. most pumps that I have been to within 10 miles of my house seam to be off by as much as 3/4 of a gallon per fill up. I have found 2 that are within .1 off for a fill up. these descrepancies can make it seam like your car is off but more likley you are not getting the gas you are paying for.
#74 of 76
Re: 2008 Focus SES Sedan MPG [auto2009] by pf_flyer HOST
May 14, 2009 (3:11 am)
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Replying to: auto2009 (May 13, 2009 12:15 pm)

I'd agree that sometimes different pumps behave differently about when they shut off when filling the tank, but the amount of gasoline they deliver and what you pay for is certainly accurate as those pumps have to be regularly calibrated and certified.
 
And even though calculating your mileage is simple (and something I do at every fill-up) a lot of people make basic mistakes when doing so. I recall one person who was looking for a new car, but wanted something that got the same mileage as her old one. She said she was getting 35-40 mpg on her old car, but there was no way that was happening since the EPA mileage estimates on that car were like 25-27 highway. What happened was the very first time she filled the car up, it took about 10 gallons of fuel, so she assumed that a fillup meant she had a 10 gallon tank. When she'd drive a tank almost dry, she'd fill up and then divide however many miles she had driven by 10. Problem was she had about a 15 gallon tank! So while she THOUGHT she was getting 35mpg, she was actually getting 23mpg.
 
But the basic calculation is simple. Fill up, drive, and at the next fill up, divide the miles driven by the number of gallons you put in the tank. Yes, you can get the occasional "short fill" when a pump shuts off short of really filling the tank which can give you a higher mileage number, but that will correct itself the next fillup when you actually do fill up completely.
 
I use the mileage calculation as a general guide to the health of my cars. If the mileage suddenly changes lower I sort of go on alert. If it stays low on the next fillup or tow, there may be some problem. But if it comes back to normal, it either was a fillup variation or some change in my normal driving patterns that caused the drop.
 
But back to my original point, I don't think there's any way that a pump is delivering 3/4 of a gallon less than it says it is. On a 10 gallon fillup that's a 7% error. Just not going to happen on a regular basis.
#75 of 76
Pleased with Focus mileage on first long trip. by sammy3165
Jul 29, 2009 (9:19 am)
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We have had our Focus (2009 sedan -SEL) for just four weeks. Around town we were getting about 28.5 to 29.0 per gallon. My wife is an RN and makes short (10-15 mile) trips from visit to visit. This past week-end, we traveled 358 miles from our home in Southwest, FL to Brunswick, GA. I was very surprised and pleased when the car would "only" take 10 gallons of gas when I filled up for the return trip. That 35.8 figure with automatic and cool AC while cruising at 75 mph was really good news. I traded in an Escape that would do only about 25 mpg highways on its best day.
#76 of 76
'04 3-door SVT by jcp123
Oct 28, 2009 (1:15 pm)
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I kept track of the '04 Infra-Red SVT Focus I had for 7358,8 miles. In that time:
 
28,73mpg average
21,22 worst
36,61 best
 
I noticed that SVT's are fuel-intensive in town, usually getting 22-24ish on a commute cycle, though with some mild hypermiling I usually garnered in the range of 27-28 on my commutes. However, on extended freeway travel, knocking down 33-35mpg tanks wasn't that hard to achieve.

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